The Great Southern Babylon: Sex, Race, and Respectability in New Orleans, 1865-1920

by Alecia P. Long

With a well-earned reputation for tolerance of both prostitution and miscegenation, New Orleans became known as the Great Southern Babylon in antebellum times. Following the Civil War, a profound alteration in social and economic conditions gradually reshaped the city’s sexual culture and erotic commerce. Historian Alecia P. Long traces sex in the Crescent City over fifty years, drawing from Louisiana Supreme Court case testimony to relate intriguing tales of people both obscure and famous whose relationships and actions exemplify the era.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, School, Research, Race

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grew on me. It started out seeming that this author was able to make the history of New Orleans vice district boring, but once I got used to the large amount of legal records used as source material, I enjoyed it more. Not great, but good.

[Jaycee Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received my history degree from LSU and took every class there except one: Louisiana History. Later in life, I'm kicking myself that I did not take it from Dr. Long. I'd like a redo.